Simmons, Gattis, Medlen lead Braves past Mets

ATLANTA (AP)

Evan Gattis is starting to get his groove back for the Atlanta
Braves.

After playing three games in the minor leagues to correct his
swing, Gattis returned to the majors and made an immediate
impact.

''I felt fixed before leaving,'' Gattis said. ''It's good to go
there and really kind of put it into action. It was good to have a
good night.''

Kris Medlen pitched seven strong innings while Gattis and
Andrelton Simmons homered to help the Atlanta Braves win their
second straight game with a 3-1 victory over the New York Mets on
Tuesday night.

The Braves have won 20 of 24 at Turner Field to improve the
major leagues' best home record to 51-19.

Gattis, who was recalled earlier in the day after a three-game
stint at Triple-A Gwinnett, tied it at 1-all with his 16th homer in
the seventh.

Medlen (12-12) allowed seven hits and one run while striking out
nine.

Closer Craig Kimbrel converted his 34th straight save
opportunity and improved to 44 for 47 this season. He struck out
Juan Lagares and Matt den Dekker, allowed a single to Omar
Quintanilla and retired pinch-hitter Justin Turner on a
groundout.

New York has dropped three straight and nine of 13.

Torres gave up seven hits, three runs and one walk. He tied
career highs with six strikeouts and seven innings pitched.

The Mets took a 1-0 lead in the sixth on Daniel Murphy's RBI
double with one out, but Medlen limited the damage on Josh Satin's
groundout and Lucas Duda's strikeout.

In the seventh, New York manager Terry Collins let Torres bat
with runners at first and third, but the pitcher struck out.

Torres lost the lead in the bottom half of the inning, unable to
finish off Gattis and Uggla when both hitters fell behind with 0-2
counts.

''Look where he was in that point in the game, and he was
cruising,'' Collins said. ''They're dangerous so you can't make any
mistakes. He gave us a chance. We just couldn't put up any
runs.''

Medlen erased the first two runners in scoring position - Eric
Young Jr. in the first and Duda in the fourth.

After Young tripled over Gattis' head in left field in the sixth
and scored on Murphy's double, Medlen escaped further damage when
Josh Satin grounded out and Duda took a called third strike.

''Whatever jam you get in, you always feel like you can get out
of it,'' Medlen said. ''I'm always thinking positive. Whether other
people do, I don't know, but I'm always figuring out a way to get
out of stuff. It's something you learn as you mature in this game.
I think I've figured how to battle, how to go at guys, and today I
did a decent job of that.''

Duda doubled with two out in the fourth, getting stranded on
d'Arnaud's strikeout, but his average dropped to .169 in 59 at-bats
with runners in scoring position.

Gattis, who went 3 for 3, spent the previous three days at
Triple-A Gwinnett to get some at-bats. The NL's rookie of the month
winner for April and May had slumped in August, but he seemed to
correct his issues by going 6 for 13 in three games at
Gwinnett.

Gattis took four pitches from Torres before crushing a cutter
into the seats in left-center field. It was his first homer since
the Braves' 8-2 victory at New York on July 24 - a span of 70
at-bats.

''It's good to square the ball up, first,'' Gattis said. ''It
just ended up being a home run, you know.''

Atlanta has won 29 of its last 38 games and has rallied for 41
victories, best in the NL.

Notes: Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said RF Jason Heyward, on
the 15-day disabled list with a broken jaw, met with a doctor
Tuesday and has been cleared to play catch and hit balls off a tee.
... Medlen is 2-1 with a 3.20 ERA and has 29 strikeouts in 25 1-3
innings in four starts against the Mets this year. ... Collins said
before the game that he expects RHP Daisuke Matsuzaka will make his
next scheduled start Sunday at Cleveland. Matsuzaka is 0-3 with a
10.95 ERA in three starts with New York. ... Collins added 1B Ike
Davis, sidelined for the fourth straight with a strained right
oblique, was in New York to see a doctor. ... Braves OF Jordan
Schafer grounded out as a pinch-hitter for Medlen in the seventh.
Schafer went 4 for 5 on Monday before leaving the game early with a
sore back.

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